Launch – Shifting Up

September 28, 2004

A new kit should be in order before the snow falls–boards, boots, and bindings at the very least. But what then? We corralled 101 riders for this issue’s Setups feature on page 142. In the mix of pros and amateurs–all worthy shreds–you’ll pick up stance-width and angle digits and get a look at the tools of the trade. Are you the next Andreas Wiig or a Janna Meyen in the making? It starts by figuring out your equipment dialed.

Then again, there are those Finnish kids with tongue-twisting names who could ride any old snowboard, not even know their stance specifics, and make the rest of the riding world look stupid. Midnight sun and livers of steel seem to be the fabric of future stars.

In Finlandia, we turn the tables on the Huck Finns and gain access to the Talma assembly lines. How does such a small country produce so many big-name riders–that’s what we wanted to know.

The hardpack of a Finnish tabletop on a negative-twenty night is a long way from the pillowy landings of Snowbird, Utah. That’s where Mike Basich and Kevin Zacher collaborated on Versus, a photo feature about perspectives. During a single week of bad (depending how you look at it) weather, the two documented riding from a view seldom seen. I think you’ll relate.